Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store has sharply rebuked former US President Donald Trump for his apparent preoccupation with the Nobel Peace Prize during discussions about the potential purchase of Greenland.
In a series of text messages obtained by Norwegian media, Trump is seen repeatedly asking Prime Minister Store about the prospects of being awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize if he were to successfully acquire the autonomous Danish territory. This revelation has drawn strong criticism from the Norwegian leader, who has accused Trump of being more concerned with personal accolades than the substantive issues at hand.
“It was quite extraordinary. The president was clearly more focused on the Nobel Prize than on the substance of what we were discussing,” Store told reporters. “That is not the way serious diplomacy should be conducted.”
The text exchange, which took place in 2019, shows Trump inquiring about his chances of winning the Nobel Peace Prize if he were able to complete a deal for Greenland. “If I get it done, what do I get?” Trump reportedly asked. “Do I get the Nobel Prize? I never got it.”
When the Norwegian PM tried to steer the conversation back to the potential purchase of Greenland, Trump persistently returned to the topic of the Nobel Prize, at one point stating: “I would get the Nobel Prize for something like that, wouldn’t I?”
Store expressed dismay at Trump’s fixation, noting that the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by an independent Norwegian committee and should not be treated as a bargaining chip in international negotiations. “The Nobel Peace Prize is not something that can be bought or traded,” he said. “It is awarded on the basis of significant contributions to peace and conflict resolution.”
The revelation of this text exchange has reignited concerns about Trump’s approach to foreign policy, with critics arguing that his apparent desire for personal accolades undermined the seriousness of high-level diplomatic discussions. The former president has long been preoccupied with the Nobel Peace Prize, having been nominated for it on multiple occasions, though he has never been selected as the recipient.
In response to the criticism, a spokesperson for Trump dismissed the Prime Minister’s comments, stating that the former president “was simply joking around” and that the texts were taken out of context. However, Store’s rebuke underscores the lingering tensions between the US and its European allies, particularly in the aftermath of Trump’s tumultuous tenure in the White House.